


Crossing Lines

by lostinthesounds



Category: The 100 (TV)
Genre: Angst, F/M, Fluff, Journalist!Clarke, a bellarke set it up!au, because I start in the middle of the movie, but they fall in love in the end, however if yall like this then perhaps i will write the entire thing, journalist!bellamy, partly because im lazy to write the entire thing, the pizza scene in set it up is just gold, the plot is sort of messy, they try to set them up either way, they're both assistants to some messed up bosses
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-03
Updated: 2020-03-03
Packaged: 2021-02-28 05:20:33
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,671
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22788610
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lostinthesounds/pseuds/lostinthesounds
Summary: “They’re happy together, right?”Bellamy wonders if she could feel how hard his heart is beating, as he looks down at the crown of her head. Thinking about how she practically changed his attitude at work, and turned his world upside down.“Yeah they are.”Set It Up!Bellarke AU
Relationships: Bellamy Blake/Clarke Griffin
Comments: 2
Kudos: 32





	Crossing Lines

**Author's Note:**

> I've tried writing this fic so many times. From trying a multi chapter, to just writing a one shot, and I'm surprisingly not mad at the end product. This is a one shot of my favorite scenes from the movie, Set It Up, and I'm in love with the characters obviously. Thank you for reading!! Feel free to leave kudos or comments, mwah!

*** * ***

_"Started in the strangest way, didn't see it coming._ _Swept up in your hurricane, wouldn't give it up for nothing._

_Now I'm all caught up in the highs and the lows._

_It's a shock to my system, and I don't wanna run away so I stay."_

**_About Love - MARINA_ **

**_* * *_ **

Clarke really didn't want to dance, and Bellamy knew that ( _yet_ , he was still trying to embarrass her in front of everyone, and she wished he would stop already) 

“Come on, Clarke” Bellamy nagged, swaying his hips playfully in her direction. There was some pop song playing, one she recognized from the radio and she stood there awkwardly avoiding the crowd forming around her. “Live a little, I swear it won’t kill you.” 

She snorted unintentionally, but she was trying not to laugh at him. “Live? You’re the one dancing like a dead fish out of water” 

  
  


He dismisses her comment, pulling at her elbow with a sigh. 

  
  


“I’m dancing in a room full of people I don’t know, celebrating _your_ best friend’s engagement.” He reminded her with a smirk, and she has to look away to keep herself from smiling. “I expected you to be the one to tell me to start dancing and stop looking like an idiot in front of your friends.” 

“I don’t know most of these people,” Clarke blushed a little, and she blamed her lack of social skills on her hectic job. “Raven is the only face I recognize here.” 

  
  


“Then you could make a fool out of yourself with me, so come on.” He repeats, reaching for her hand and squeezing tightly to keep her restrained and not allowing her to back away even when she starts to pull. Now, he can’t stop himself from laughing at the prominent frown on her face when he says, “Dance with me, or I’ll get Raven’s grandpa to come over here.” 

  
  


Clarke froze, remembering what happened to her earlier. “He was the one who wouldn’t let go of me when Raven introduced us earlier, Bellamy.” 

  
  


“And I’m the guy you work with,” He prompted as a fact, and points to himself “Definitely not a creep.” 

  
  


“I’m not good at this.” Clarke argues, referring to the loud music and groups of people forming around them. 

  
  


Bellamy huffs, “As if that matters, and if you look around—“ He scans the crowd, Clarke’s eyes following his gaze. She releases a breath she realized she hasn’t been holding in, and there’s people flailing their arms in the air without a care in the world. She’s been wanting a day off for as long as she remembered, planned a whole vacation for Becca and Marcus to even attend the engagement party, and she’s afraid. He seems to notice that too, “Nobody cares, Clarke.”

  
  


“Fine.” She pulled her hand away, the contact was making her head spin a little. “But the only move you’re getting out of me is this,” The dance she had in mind wasn’t matching the techno beat at all, but she was slightly intoxicated and self conscious to do anything else. 

  
  


“You’ve got to be kidding me, right?” Bellamy chuckled, in disbelief as he watched the girl in front of him place a hand on the back of her neck and extend the other arm to do the sprinkler that he hasn’t seen done since he was in middle school. 

  
  


“It’s a dance that never gets old, I don’t know what you’re judging me for.” She’s smiling so wide, that her cheeks ache and Bellamy can’t look away. He’s stuck on her, and he’s the one who ends up standing there looking like an fool watching her. Clarke then switches to doing the Macarena, and when Bellamy doubles over in laughter, she wiggles her body like a snake. 

  
  


She was wearing a dress, so he was glad that she didn’t try to get on the floor and do the worm even if the thought made him blush red. 

  
  


Eventually, after trying to copy her moves every once in a while, and then forcing her to stop bobbing her head to the beat _before_ she got sick and threw up on his sneakers...the song changes to something slow. 

  
  


They both pause, not knowing what to do once couples start pairing together when Raven squeals and grabs Zeke’s hand from the corner of Bellamy’s eyes. 

  
  


He extends a hand out, “Don’t make it weird.” 

  
  


He says it aloud not only as a warning for her, but a promise he has to keep himself. 

  
  


Clarke bites her lip, deciding if she should walk away and let Bellamy find someone else to dance with. In the end, she takes his hand and hesitantly lets herself get pulled into his embrace and giggles when she puts a hand on his chest instead of taking his other hand to hold. 

  
  


She definitely hasn’t danced with anyone like this in a long time. 

  
  


He found it adorable, if he was honest. 

  
  


Clarke’s other hand rests on his shoulder, and she rests her head against him as a natural instinct. It felt normal for her to take that step, even if they were just friends. (Bellamy felt as if he would start hyperventilating at any second, but he tried to play it off.) 

  
  


“I was thinking about Raven’s speech from earlier, and how far she’s come.” Clarke mumbled against his collared blue polo shirt, “I can’t believe she’s getting married.” 

  
  


“Was it the part where she said she’s been with a ton of guys, and never met the right one until Zeke?—That’s his name right?” Clarke nods to the second question, and she doesn’t smile when he continues because what she was too deep in thought. But, she lets him finish as they danced to the soft melody of the song. “It’s a lot of trial and error with a girl like her.” 

  
  


Clarke grinned, “I’m convinced she found the right guy though, Zeke is a great guy.” 

  
  


Bellamy shakes his head, convincing himself that squeezing her hand was just a reflex and nothing he had control of. “So what was wrong with her speech?” 

  
  


“She just made me think of why we’re trying so hard to get Marcus and Becca together, and why we didn’t let them fall in love on their own terms and paths.” Clarke paused, listening closely to the calm beating of Bellamy’s heart as she waited for an answer. “What if they’re not meant to be?” 

  
  


She cuts him off before he could have a chance to answer, hesitantly adding on. “What if they just like each other, like Raven said. The whole ‘ _love despite’_ thing, because they’re so headstrong separately. How can they work?” 

  
  


“That’s something they have to figure out for themselves,” Bellamy assured in a gentle tone, trying not to ruin the moment. “If they didn’t like each other when we tried setting them up in the elevator, or the baseball game, then they would’ve broken up already.” 

  
  


“They already did that once.” 

  
  


“You know what I mean,” Bellamy sighed in defeat, not wanting to banter about her sarcastic ways. “We just happened to push them together at the right time, when we both had things to prioritize and do in our personal lives.” 

  
  


Clarke catches him by surprise, pulling away and resting her head sideways on his shoulder so that he could feel her soft intakes of breath against his neck. He doesn’t know what to do, so he lets her stay because it doesn’t bother him. 

  
  


She struggles to find the words to say, not fazed by the fact that if he moved his head just a few inches to the left, he would be able to kiss her. 

  
  


“Do you think they’re made for eachother?” 

  
  


“They’re practically the same person.” 

  
  


Sensing her doubt, and the unfamiliar sense of comfort she brings him with having her in his arms, his hand travels down to rest at her waist and takes a breath. 

  
  


He wants to tell her how he hasn’t had a great night like this in ages, but all that comes out is this, “Becca is happy with him, and Marcus has never been this relaxed about his job since I’ve known him. He hasn’t thrown chairs at anyone in weeks, and it’s because of us.” 

  
  


“They’re happy _together_ , right?” 

  
  


He wonders if she could feel how hard his heart is beating, as he looks down at the crown of her head. Thinking about how she practically changed his attitude at work, and turned his world upside down. “Yeah they are.” He responded in a whisper, and before she knew it, he spun her outward so he could recoil back into his chest. 

  
  


The next move had surprised him the most. 

  
  


In a split second, she’s grabbing a hold of his shoulders and shaking him violently. 

  
  


“You know what I want?” She tells him urgently, wanting him to ask her why she’s acting this way. 

  
  


Bellamy’s lips curl into a smile that he tries to hide once her eyes widen, as she waits. “What is that?” 

  
  


He was thankful that she wasn’t paying too close attention to his words, or how she practically didn’t read between the lines. 

  
  


_So_ thankful, actually. 

  
  
  


“Pizza,” She says in awe of the thought, cupping her own face when she pulls back from his embrace and he can’t lie when thinking that she wished she hadn’t done that. She was in a daze of her own desire for food, leaving Bellamy to stand there awkwardly. "We have to leave, like _right_ now. I'm starving and there's no food here." 

  
  


Then, Clarke was off to find Raven looking in every direction before she spotted her at the bar talking to her mother. 

  
  


Bellamy has no choice but to follow, especially when the song comes to an end. 

* * *

When Clarke was tired and tipsy, she would act like a child who didn't get her way with things. It didn't help that Bellamy was the opposite, and he would take any chance he had to reprimand her while they walked down the street to his apartment building. They decided that it was the closest destination for the two of them, and he couldn't argue with facts. 

But, he could argue with _her_. Just to be a tease. 

Bellamy swatted her hand away, closing the box quickly. “You’re letting the cold air inside, stop that.” 

“I don’t know what I wish for more right now,” She mumbles, leaning against his side as they walked down the street. They were getting closer to his apartment building, and Bellamy was grateful because his mind was clouding with thoughts of how perfect her head fit leaning against his shoulder. “For that pizza box to magically turn into my bed, or to steal a slice when you aren’t looking.” 

**  
  
**

“I’m the one holding the box, Clarke.” Bellamy stated the obvious, not saying anything else until they reached the front of his building. He liked the silence between them, it cleared his mind. 

**  
  
**

He jogs up the steps, and presses the buzzer for Miller to answer—until he doesn’t get one, and he tries another five more times with nothing on the other side. 

**  
  
**

“What’s the matter?” She asks him, rubbing her temples. 

**  
  
**

Bellamy knows it was either one thing or the _other_ , “Miller’s asleep _or_ he’s too busy doing something I really don’t wanna think about.” 

**  
  
**

Clarke tilted her head in confusion, too tired and going through the after effects of having alcohol in her system. 

**  
  
**

“Where are we gonna go?” She asks, wrapping her jean jacket tighter around herself. It’s something she does when she’s nervous and cold, “We could go back to the pizza shop? It’s not that far of a walk from here.” 

**  
  
**

Bellamy was already walking ahead of her, the last few words she spoke mumbled as he turned the corner of his empty block. 

**  
  
**

“We’re _already_ at my place, Clarke.” He calls out to the blonde behind him, hoping she was catching up to his pace because she would need to hold the box for what he had to do. Turning around swiftly once he recognized his bedroom window, he felt someone bump against his back. He turned around, knowing it was Clarke with her arms outstretched once she saw what he’s in front of. 

It was a fire-escape, and Bellamy's bedroom was on the second floor. 

**  
  
**

The stores from across the street were helping them see from the ground level, with their bright lights that wouldn’t turn off even when the store was closed. 

**  
  
**

“We’re climbing up a ladder that hasn’t been used in years?” She looked up, taking the box from his hands when he jumps up onto a ledge next to the suspended ladder to the second floor of the building. “That’s completely rusted?” 

**  
  
**

It was a foolish argument, especially when Bellamy began to tug the steps down with both hands. 

**  
  
**

He huffs, “You don’t think I’ve done this before?” 

**  
  
**

“Well, it’s unlikely when you’re struggling to pull the damn thing down.” She teased him, he stopped his attempt and stood there with a hand on his hip, waiting for her to help him. _Oh_. He needed her help, and she was just watching him. 

**  
  
**

She felt sorry suddenly, “Would you like my help?” 

**  
  
**

Bellamy grunts, not amused by her antics when he tries to pull the ladder down when it gets stuck towards the middle hinges. 

**  
  
**

She takes that as a yes, and adjusts the pizza box to adjust against her hip and holds it with one hand while using the other to help him tug the ladder down to the sidewalk. When it finally falls, she celebrates with a victory fist bump in the air and Bellamy squats down on the ledge he was on and snatched the pizza box from her hands with a knowing smirk. 

**  
  
**

Her jaw drops in surprise, and she’s so much in shock that she laughs. “What was that for?” 

**  
  
**

“Oh, this?” Bellamy gestures to the box in his hands and shrugs, “I’m taking it upstairs, I thought that was clear.” 

**  
  
**

“You took it from me!” She exclaimed, her voice free of anger and full of admiration. 

**  
  
**

“I had it first.” He sticks out his tongue, like he was talking to a child. He straightens his posture once he realizes what he just did, to another grown woman, and clears his throat. “And your hands are small, so I’m obviously the best fit.” 

**  
  
**

Bellamy swung his leg over to step onto the ladder, and he was able to climb one step with his hand gripped onto the side of the box before Clarke decided to startle him. 

**  
  
**

“Don’t tilt the pizza, Bellamy.” She warned him, and her concern caught him so off guard that his foot almost slips off the step.

His arm curls around the step above his head so he stays in place, and he looks back at her with wild eyes. “Why in the _world_ would you—“ He hissed. 

**  
  
**

“I don't want the cheese sticking to the top of the cardboard box!" Clarke places a hand on her hip, some desperation laced in her voice. "I'm being helpful, Bellamy." 

"Helpful?," He prompted, "By scaring the life out of me?" 

"But the _pizza_ ," She couldn't even finish her sentence, as she pouts and lets her arms fall to her sides. 

**  
  
**

He couldn’t control himself, he laughs at her worry for the food in his hands. He knew she was hungry, and so was he, but she was also weirdly protective over keeping it intact. 

**  
  
**

“Stop making me laugh” Bellamy said. 

**  
  
**

“I’m not doing anything—keep the box _straight_ , it’s not hard.” 

**  
  
**

“You’re really funny about this, huh?” 

**  
  
**

“I'm worried about the food, Bell—“ 

**  
  
**

“Don’t worry, Clarke” Bellamy assured, making a presentation of straightening the box and climbing a few more steps before sliding the box onto the fire escape so it could stay flat. “It’s fine, see?” 

**  
  
**

“If I open the box once we get inside and it’s like a murder scene, I’ll recreate it for you.” She points a finger at him, but still manages to take his hand once he offers to pull her up the first few steps of the ladder. She climbs up easily, having no doubt in the back of her mind that she couldn't have done what Bellamy did with no issue. She was just tired, so neither of them took offense to her empty threats. If she was actually angry with him, then all he would expect is punch to the shoulder. 

**  
  
**

(He had no doubt that it would hurt, so he's glad she didn't go through with any violent acts) 

**  
  
**

She couldn’t stay mad at him either. She had actually enjoyed spending the night with him. As much as she wanted to disagree with her own best friend's opinion, Raven seemed to like him too, which reminded her to clarify in the morning that they were strictly just friends. 

**  
  
**

Just friends. 

**  
  
**

_Co-workers._

**  
  
**

She couldn’t even call him that, since he was just another assistant who worked for another boss. 

**  
  
**

The fire escape was small and Clarke made sure to keep her distance in a confined space, but it was hard when there was a hole for the downstairs ladder that was next to her. She inched closer to Bellamy as he took out his key to unlock his sliding door. The notion felt normal, and he didn't seem to mind feeling her warmth behind his back. 

**  
  
**

Once it clicks open, he peeks his head inside to search for any source of noise (Now is when Clarke finally gets it, and she hopes the apartment is empty too) and Bellamy steps inside his room and holds the door open for Clarke. 

**  
  
**

“I think Miller is actually asleep,” He clarified and had no problem navigating his way through the dark room to his bedside lamp. He didn’t hear any noise from outside in the hallways. When Clarke’s brows raise in suspicion, asking why he doesn’t just turn on his actual lights if his roommate is asleep, Bellamy shrugs as if it wasn’t a big deal to him. “It’s late either way, and I’m kinda lazy to walk to the door.” He gestured to the door that was on the other side of the room, and she understood. 

**  
  
**

That’s when he offers her to sit down next to him on the floor, with his legs crossed and the pizza box on his bed behind his back. 

**  
  
**

She couldn’t say no. 

**  
  
**

Clarke plops down next to him, legs straight out in front of her and the heels of her feet digging into his carpet. 

**  
  
**

He waits until she’s comfortable and adjusted and says, “This is the moment you’ve been waiting for, are you ready for this?” 

**  
  
**

She scoffs at his dramatics, and rips the tape off the tab and pulls back the top of the pizza box. 

**  
  
**

She also managed to rip off the paper plates from the inner flap of the box, and hand them to Bellamy. He sets it down behind him, knowing neither of them would have the restraint to use them when they were this impatient. 

**  
  
**

They both stared at the pizza for way longer than necessary, eventually snapping out of the daze of melted cheese and the aroma of tomato sauce and toasted bread. 

**  
  
**

Bellamy gets distracted by her wavering hand over the edge of the cardboard box, knowing she wants to dive right in. He gives into her temptation, hoping his own stomach doesn’t grumble aloud when it’s this quiet in the room. 

“I’m giving you first choice.” 

**  
  
**

Clarke doesn’t waste another second, smacking her lips together in anticipation and picking a slice on the curve of the circle pie. She uses both hands to peel the pizza away from the others, trying not to get any cheese from falling from her slice. 

**  
  
**

Bellamy doesn’t hesitate either, grabbing the slice next to her empty space and taking a big bite from the smaller end. 

**  
  
**

He pretends not to hear the moan from the back of her throat, deciding it would be smart to let the girl have a moment of peace with her food. “This is the _best_ meal I’ve ever had, in my entire life.” 

**  
  
**

He waits a second, then turning his head to see that she’s folded her pizza in half and was taking bites from the crust first. 

**  
  
**

Bellamy stares at her with raised brows, “How can you do that?” 

**  
  
**

It was a fair question, and he’s never seen someone eat a pizza like that. 

**  
  
**

Her eyes widen at being caught for doing something totally harmless, and she shys away from him and swallows the bite of food first before talking. “Before you think I’m crazy, I take alternate bites so I can not only finish the slice faster _but_ ,” She pauses, showing him an example of what she meant. “I could eat both the crust and the cheese at the same time.” 

**  
  
**

It was easy to understand when she said it but he was quickly distracted by some grease that framed the corners of her mouth. “You’re not crazy,” He says. “Just unique.” 

**  
**_He needs to look away from her lips._ **  
**

“For the way I eat pizza?” 

**  
  
**

“Definitely.” He chuckled, turning his focus back to taking another bite of his pizza. 

**  
  
**

A few seconds pass of comfortable eating until Bellamy looks at her, when she’s in a daze of reality and hooded eyes. 

**  
  
**

The silence was getting to his head now, worried that he would get caught so he blurted out, eyes darting towards her cheek when he noticed some grease on the corner of her mouth. 

**  
  
**

“Should I get napkins?” 

**  
  
**

She must’ve felt it too, because she followed his gaze and wipes at her bottom lip with the pad of her thumb. 

**  
  
**

“I’m managing just fine,” She said, hooking a piece of hair that fell from her ponytail behind her ear as she looked down. In Bellamy’s eyes, she looked different than when they first met. More vulnerable, open to taking risks and happy after spending a night doing someone she _wanted_ to do instead of following orders. He knew she loved her job, and that she couldn’t give up her dream of being a writer just because her job sucked. 

**  
  
**

His job sucked too. They were in the same boat, and that’s what made their bond so easy to connect with. 

When they first began the whole ordeal of getting their bosses together, it was their friendly banter shared back and forth in the middle of the night with a bottle of cheap liquor from the store down the street that kept them awake when Marcus and Becca wanted time together. 

**  
  
**

It was Clarke who kept him company when his boss ripped up the science project that he helped create for his daughter, and he had to think of a new idea. 

She had grown to be an everyday asset to his life, his daily routine, that he couldn’t see his job as just a place he worked at anymore. It was the place where he’d get to see Clarke everyday, and spend time messaging or talking to her. 

**  
  
**

She was just a friend, he kept trying to convince himself. 

**  
  
**

But; she was also _more_ than that. He hadn’t realized he had been staring so intently at her face, not until his hand slowly fell to set the pizza back in the box and absentmindedly let his sight only focus on her. He’s a girl that makes him smile, and she was too busy breaking off the last bit of bread from the edge of the pizza crust to pop into her mouth. 

**  
  
**

“Clarke, I—“ He doesn’t know what he’s going to say, but no words come out either. They die on the tip of his tongue, a voice almost non existent when she looks up at him with narrowed eyes. 

**  
  
  
**

She smiles wide, waiting for him to elaborate on whatever he wanted to say. Although, it’s quick to unravel and turn into a confused look and he wasn’t sure if it was just his mind playing tricks on him, but her blue eyes flicker from locking gazes to his parted lips that make the air thicken with unresolved tension. 

**  
  
**

He doesn’t move, neither does she. 

**  
  
**

She leans in, just a fraction of an inch closer, and time seems to slow down—until the both of them are thrown back into reality, and Clarke pulls back and takes a small bite of her pizza with an unreadable expression on her face. 

**  
  
**

“ _Uh_ , I-I think I should get going.” She decides for herself, leaving no room for Bellamy to interfere when she’s stuffing the last of her slice in her mouth. “It’s getting late.” 

**  
  
**

She doesn’t look at him, and he tries to forget about how it makes him feel. 

**  
  
**

Because he shouldn’t feel anything. 

**  
  
**

He should be thinking about Echo, the girl who’s actually his perfect _girlfriend_. Instead, he’s biting his tongue to stop himself from saying that Clarke just got to his apartment and the train station would be lonely and mostly vacant, and he really didn't want her to leave. 

**  
  
**

He takes a deep breath, picking up the pizza box from his lap and holding it in the air closer to her direction. 

**  
  
**

“Take one for the road?” He asks, knowing Miller would probably devour the leftovers in the morning after he leaves for work. 

**  
  
**

Clarke nods sheepishly, “Can I take one of those paper plates? I actually would want to take some home.” 

**  
  
**

Bellamy reaches behind him to grab the stack of plates he took out earlier, and packs two slices of pizza and folds the plate in half so they’re secure. 

“There you go,” He hands the plate over to here, standing on his feet now. He hesitates, not trusting the tone of his voice when he shyly avoids her gaze. "Be careful, will you?" 

**  
  
**

“I promise I won’t fall down the ladder,” She swore, using his bed as leverage to stand and straighten out her dress. 

**  
  
**

“I was talking about holding the pizza while going _down_ the ladder.” He teased, because making a joke was all he could do right now. 

**  
  
**

Clarke waved him off, as she slid open his bedroom patio door and stepped outside onto the fire escape past midnight. “Goodnight, Bellamy.” She says in a low tone, and it wasn’t long after that he heard the sound of her leather boots climb down the ladder and he’s really left alone in his thoughts. 

**  
  
**

Bellamy reaches for the pizza box, grabbing the slice he dropped in there earlier. 

**  
  
**

He takes a big bite, staring blankly at the wall in front of him. 

**  
  
**

He was _really_ about to do something he would regret— he thinks about the pool party with Echo, and how she treated him and how he ended up spending the night with Clarke—and now he can’t stop thinking about her. The girl that isn’t his girlfriend. 

**  
  
**

It wasn’t until two minutes later, quite literally he would add, his pocket buzzed with a phone call with Echo’s face showcased in his contact list and his finger hovered over the accept button. 

**  
  
**

It’s when he realized that he should be going to bed, and he had no time to talk to her right now. 

**  
  
**

So, he declines the call. 

*** * ***

" _Think about the time it took for our paths to cross_

_read me like an open book. I was found and lost._

_now I'm all caught up in the highs and lows._

_it's a shock to my system. I know that our love was fate, so I stay."_

*** * ***

Bellamy instantly knew something was wrong when Clarke walked inside the jewelry store, with tears brimming the corner of her blue eyes. 

  
  


“What’s wrong?” He asks, smiling nervously at the employee in front of him to give him a minute to talk to her. “Marcus didn’t stop you, did he? Are we still in the clear—” 

  
  


Clarke cuts him off, “Why didn’t you tell me about the affair?” It was the first thing she said to him since their adventure last night, and in that moment, the joy he remembered had quickly disappeared. She was leaning against the counter as she stared up at him in disbelief, careless in acknowledging the other customers in the store. 

  
  


Bellamy felt his heart drop to the floor. He just found out about Marcus and his ex-wife Diyoza’s late last night, when his phone buzzed with a notification that Marcus's card made a payment for a cruise trip for the next month. It was planned for the time after his honeymoon with Becca, when the both of them would be swamped with work to pay attention to the other. 

Marcus had lied to him. 

  
  


However, he couldn't feel any betrayal by the act because he was numb. He had spent years wanting and chasing his promotion to an employee under Marcus’s franchise, and he just had to keep making him happy. It hurt to lie to Clarke when she called him this morning, but he was doing this for her too. 

  
  


If she wanted to be a writer, then she would need to make her boss satisfied—and that’s all he wanted for her, to be happy with her life. 

Now that she found out about Marcus and Diyoza—the pained expression on her face was enough to make him wish like the previous night had never happened, because then he wouldn’t feel so worried about their relationship changing. _For the worst_. 

  
  


“I didn’t know, Clarke.” Bellamy told her, biting his tongue when deciding to tell the actual truth to the girl that continues to make her head spin. “I only found out last night” 

  
  


The cashier behind the desk began to interfere, but Clarke waved them off with a scoff. 

  
  


“So, that’s why you were acting all sweet and charming?” She narrowed her eyes, tears threatening to roll down her cheeks. In that moment, Bellamy was reminded of her playfulness and innocence that made them so different—yet, deep inside, he wondered if that was the reason why they clicked so well. He wished that he was still holding Marcus's ring box, so his hands would have something to fiddle with when he fought the urge to cup her face and wipe away her tears. She’s so angry with him, that she forgets about everyone else in the room. “Was it because you knew about Marcus? And you didn’t wanna tell me?” 

  
  


“I got the message after you left,” Bellamy swallowed thickly, forcing the words out of his mouth before he could regret them. She was the only one who made him feel giddy inside, like he was a teenager all over again, and he hated to see her upset. “I was half asleep and—” 

  
  


“We have to stop this right now,” Clarke shook her head vigorously, clearly in disagreement as she took the ring box from the counter and snapped the lid shut. “I can’t do this anymore.” 

  
  


“Clarke, come on,” Bellamy pleaded, having no idea how to convince her to stay. He takes the box from her hand and forces a smile towards the cashier to pretend like everything was fine between the two of them and turns back to her, “We’re so close to getting what we wanted all along, and you were the one who made me agree to all of this in the beginning.” 

  
  


He didn’t want to point the finger at her, but he was desperate to find any reason to make himself feel better. 

  
  


“I _can’t_ ,” Clarke walked backwards, surrending her hands in the air to tell him that he couldn’t try and keep her around anymore. She wouldn’t look him in the eyes, too distraught by the man in front of her. “I can’t hurt Becca like this anymore, and I swore I would never lie to her. Have you realized how lovesick she is with Marcus? I can’t believe you—” 

  
  


“Me?” Bellamy pointed at himself, eyes wide in shock. “Clarke, you were the one who asked me to help you get our bosses together. Do you remember that? Or are you too caught up in your own dream fantasy that you don’t want to remember?” He didn’t have control over raising his voice, it naturally came with the anger bubbling in his chest. 

  
  


She was standing in front of him with her folder clutched in both arms, her purse hung on her shoulder like she had left Becca’s office just to meet him. Her blonde hair swayed with every turn of her head when she avoided his gaze, and he wished that she would just look at him so he could get a chance to explain. 

  
  


But, it was already too late. 

  
  


Clarke couldn’t believe what he was saying, her emotions getting the best of her when she tried to speak up but the words got caught in her throat. When she tries again, her voice cracks and she’s angrily trying to untangle the ends of her hair because it gave her a distraction. 

  
  


The whole store goes quiet, like they were listening to their conversation. At this point, Clarke didn’t care. The only person she cared about was making her regret how open she allowed her heart to be. 

  
  


“I still have time to make something of myself in this industry,” Clarke snapped bitterly. “Unlike someone I know.” 

Bellamy raised his brows, taking the ring box from the cashier without a second thought as he readjusted his satchel across his body. He didn’t hold back any resentment he may have with her with his next words, and it was what broke her inside. 

“For an assistant who wants to make it out of the death grip with their boss,” He began, standing his ground firmly. He was being petty, throwing back every insecurity that had been building in her for months now. “You don’t sound so motivated with half written articles and failed promises that you can’t keep. If i would know better, it sounds like you _actually like working for Becca_.” 

  
  


Clarke covers her mouth to keep from letting out a sob, and shakes her head at Bellamy as she walks out of the store. 

She left without saying another word. 

  
  


She was so disappointed in him, a person who she thought she could trust and rely on. The sentence of, ‘ _I only liked being around you_ ’ dies on the tip of her tongue before she could take out her cellphone and tell Becca she was taking an extended lunch break. She pretends not to hear Bellamy calling after her from inside the store, not bothering to look back. 

  
  


In the midst of Becca’s pre-wedding bliss, her boss agrees. 

  
  


It gave Clarke more time to figure out a plan on how to come clean about everything. She couldn’t feel guilty anymore, and being honest was the first step.

*** * ***

_"My head gets messy when I try to hide the things I love about you in my mind._

_I don't really know a lot about love, a lot about love._

_But you're in my head, you're in my blood and it feels so good to hurt so much."_

*** * ***

“Raven, will you calm down—yes, I know that your best friend just got an article published by her former boss—but you’re also on a _plane_ ,” Clarke laughed, feeling like she was on top of the world. She wondered if she should’ve accepted Becca’s offer to come back to work after being fired for a week, but she had found an inner confidence that wasn’t alive before she got fired. If she stayed, she would be influenced by someone else’s view of the world—and she didn’t want that anymore. 

  
  


Although, it did feel extremely satisfying in having one of the most popular female reports in sports on her side. Becca had promised to read every article beforehand and give feedback as needed, and Clarke was grateful for the opportunities she couldn’t have before. It was more than she could’ve asked for, after everything she’s done to Becca. 

  
  


“I’ll talk to you later, when you’re done sucking Zeke’s face off.” Clarke adjusts the box under her arm, she was glad that she was never a person to stuff her desk with random things because then it would’ve been difficult to carry with only one arm. “Have a good flight, love you!” The lobby of the building was buzzing with conversations, as she stopped for a second to hang up the phone with her best friend. 

  
  


She couldn’t stop smiling, as she dropped her phone in her box of belongings. The weather was an added bonus, the sun shining down on the sidewalks of New York City was enough to brighten her mood if she wasn’t already so happy. 

  
  


Clarke knew what she was leaving behind inside Becca’s office—the cubicle where she worked for three years, the overwhelming job of being an assistant that only sometimes brought her genuine joy, and one person who made the last month of her life an absolute hell.

  
  


_Bellamy_. 

  
  


She hadn’t spoken to him since the jewelry store incident, and she wasn’t successful in deleting his contact number, even when he wouldn’t stop calling her to apologize. She knew he regretted the things he said, because she wished she could take back what she said too. There’s a small part of her that hoped he was doing well, because Becca was also the one to tell her that he quit his job the day after she left the office. 

It had been over a week now. 

She didn't think it was childish to ignore his calls, even when she did want to talk to him. Bellamy had been such a whirlwind of experiences for her, from being the first real friend she made in the office to being the first guy to tell her that she wasn't completely nerdy and innocent for a twenty three year old woman—they were his words, not her's—and that any guy would be lucky to have her. It's what made the ache in her heart so much more painful, because he was so kind and she had thought of them as a good _team_ together. And teams don't work best when arguing with each other, it was a staple key point in sports. 

Clarke didn't want to think about how much she missed him, so she forced the realization to the back of her head and pushed past the revolving doors. 

She shouldn't be missing someone she had only worked with for a month, and it was driving her crazy with how much she wanted him back in her life. In an effort to try and distract herself, she looks for the nearest train stop that would take her back to her empty apartment. Clarke was well aware that she was standing in the middle of a busy crosswalk, but she felt like she couldn't move her feet as she stood in shock. 

A few feet away, Bellamy was pacing back and forth in front of a corner street bench—with his hands shoved deep into the front pockets of his blue jeans, with his curls bouncing against his forehead as turned to walk in opposite directions and Clarke was surprised to see him actually own a navy blue t-shirt—and she instantly knew that he must've known she was here to talk to Becca. 

Clarke walks towards him slowly, afraid he might disappear into thin air if she tried chasing after him. 

He deflates once he finally sees her, and her heart starts to pound against her ribcage with nerves and a bit of butterflies when they lock eyes. She has to squint under the sun to get a good look at him, but she was glad to see him out of a suit and into something more comfortable in the hot weather. 

"What are you doing here?" She asks softly, still in awe as she adjusts the box against her hip so it wouldn't fall. She stops herself about a foot away from him, standing near recycling bins just to respect their distance from the other. 

Bellamy licks his lips, wringing his hands together nervously. "Becca called me this morning, asking if I would pick up some of Marcus's old things from her office but when I got there," He paused, gesturing to one of the top floors that Clarke recognized as her former office. "She said that she already threw out all of his stuff that he left behind, and that she didn't need me." 

"That does sound like something she would do," Clarke said.

"Why are you here?" Bellamy took his turn to ask her a question, walking around the bench to inch himself closer. "She told me that you quit a few days ago." 

"I had to clear out my desk," Clarke held out her box, and felt the need to laugh at herself because she had no idea how she ended up here. "Becca wanted to offer my job back to me, but I said no. I need to work on finding my path in this industry, without the help of a sports mogul." Her words dragged out, not knowing how else to make their conversation last longer. 

Bellamy nodded while leaning against the bench frame, and Clarke found herself staring at him as if he was the only person in the entire world. He clicked his tongue, obviously deep in thought about something that he won't tell her, "She's a smart woman, I'll give her that satisfaction." 

Clarke tilted her head, confused by why he was complimenting someone he barely knew. "I never doubted her, so I agree."

"You don't see what she tried to do today?" Bellamy hinted, "She tried to set _us_ up, Clarke. She called us both at the same time to show up at her office so we'd miraculously meet and be forced to talk to each other about what happened." 

Clarke was at a loss for words, suddenly feeling the need to hold the box under her other arm to give her something else to focus on. The cardboard digs into her side, but she barely gave the discomfort a second thought as she tried to register what he said. Her heart was pounding hard against her ribcage, making it difficult to speak because she couldn't think of anything that would make sense. 

None of this made sense. 

Her feelings for Bellamy didn't make sense. 

" _Wait_ ," Clarke tried to hold back a nervous laugh, but she couldn't believe what was happening. "So my former boss, the one who despised being a casual relationship, is trying to set us up? It failed the first time, so I just don't understand how she thinks we would work out in the end." 

Bellamy's eyes widen, and he runs both of his hands roughly through his curls, "It failed for Marcus and Becca, and we should've never tried to get them together so I'm _sorry_ about the shit that I said when we were at the store," He sounded so defeated, like their argument was all he thought about for the entire week that they didn't talk. He tried to find her wandering gaze, "But, is it really a bad idea that she wants _us_ to mend things?" 

"I don't work here anymore, and if you gladly want to take my place as Becca's assistant then—" Clarke tried to come up with an excuse to the real meaning behind his words, yet she didn't even she didn't believe herself. 

"No, Clarke, I don't want to work for her or anyone else in this building." Bellamy assured, hands wiping against the front of his jeans when he stands and begins to walk towards her carefully.

Clarke was getting nervous, a clear show to him when she began to ramble. "How does this have anything to do with Becca, with you, with me?"

He was more confident with each step forward, placing his hands on top of Clarke's when he pulled the box in his direction. "I quit my job the day after you left, because not only did I feel horrible about hurting you, but I couldn't stand in the shadows anymore." Bellamy's voice lowered, when he was close enough to hear her sharp intake of breath. " I need to go after what I want, and I don't want to be an assistant anymore." 

" _Bellamy_ ," She let out a sigh, and he wasn't sure if it was relief or disbelief, but she wouldn't look away from his gentle gaze. When he caresses the back of her hand with his thumb, she didn't flinch from the small circles he was rubbing onto her skin and he takes it as a sign that he didn't need to stop. Clarke exhales, "What do you want now? Now that you quit, and have the free will to go after what you've always dreamed of?" 

He tugs the box away from her, knowing he was okay to do so when she lets him have it without a fight and places it on the floor beside their feet. 

Someone that walks passed them manages to kick the box a few inches from where he set it down, but Bellamy didn't bother to pay attention. 

"I have a list of things," He began, reaching for Clarke's wrists to pull her closer to his chest. The night of Raven's engagement party flashes in his mind when she looked up at him with a goofy grin, shy of putting her hands around his neck, and unspoken feelings that they were both afraid of. "But, I have _one_ person that I want to experience every single part of my dream with." 

"Who might that be?" Clarke played along, blue eyes sparkling in the sunlight as her hands gripped onto his shoulders. 

"Well, she's definitely a handful," Bellamy teased, biting his lip to keep from smiling when Clarke playfully smacks him on the bicep. "And extremely bossy, and controlling even when she's drunk. She can't say hello before starting an argument in a store, and she likes pizza way too much." 

"Oh, shut up." Clarke grinned, cheeks burning pink. 

"Despite everything, she's easy to despise from the first glance." He admitted, hands squeezing her hips. Thinking of the first time they met, and how he should've treated her better when she was clearly stressed out over a take-out delivery. 

_"You wouldn't dare," Clarke glared at the delivery guy, shoving her credit card in his direction when the other guy in a suit tried to pay for the meal with his money. With the two twenty dollar bills that she didn't have in her pockets._

_"Sorry, princess," The guy rushed to grab the food, satisfied in handing over the money. "I was the one who paid."_

_"But, it was my meal!" Clarke stuttered in shock, running after him when he began to make his way to the elevator. This guy had a lot of nerve stealing her meal, but it was late, and she didn't want to argue with anyone. (Even if she was really looking forward to that mac and cheese bowl, and the shrimp was making her stomach growl from smelling it within the open bag)_

_"I said I was sorry!" The stranger said, his voice pained as if he was actually regretting the decision. Clarke wrapped her cardigan tighter around her waist, to relieve some of the anger building up in her system when her knuckles turn white._

_"Hey, why can't we share it?" Clarke huffed, stopping in her tracks. The stranger stops too, turning around from pressing the button for the elevator lift. She knew that he was curious about her offer, so she was grateful for her quick thinking._

_"What do you have?" He sighs, holding out his hand for her to take and examine._

_Clarke smiled with her lip caught in between her teeth, because she wouldn't be a total disappointment to Becca tonight. She would just have to wait until she got back to her apartment, and she was sure that Raven would leave some leftovers or something for a late night snack._

_It would be fine._

_She reaches him quickly, and takes the bag from his hands and opens it. It would be the first time that she made a mac and cheese sandwich with shrimp mixed in pasta, and when she tried the meal for herself a week later, she was pleased. Clarke just wished that Bellamy hadn't stolen a piece of flatbread from her tray, and lied about the bread being Marcus's favorite. Because it was his._

"You're so lucky that the waiter who took Becca's order that night really liked her," Clarke leaned in peck Bellamy on the cheek, her heart beating intensely in her chest. She's never felt this way about anyone before, and it was exciting and new. "She still had two pieces of flatbread in her tray." 

"I know I stole your meal that night," Bellamy tensed, and this time, she knew that he felt guilty. It was a perk of being around him for over a month now, the way she could tell how he was feeling with one focused look to examine his actions. "And I think I could make up for it." 

"I was looking forward to that mac and cheese, I can't lie." Clarke hinted. 

Bellamy's hand reaches for her neck, cradling her head to keep her in place as he spoke. She gasps, but he was dying to kiss her already. 

"Ever since the night we had pizza at my place after Raven's party," He began in a trance of her beauty in that moment. "I've been wanting to ask you out on an official date, _so_ I'm going to ask you now. Clarke, will you go out with me?" 

How he felt about Clarke was nothing compared to how he felt with Echo, and although their breakup was rough when he saw her after he quit his job, it was the best decision he could've ever made because his heart felt free. Like nothing could stop him from wanting Clarke anymore. 

What he really wanted to hear was a desperate 'yes', to show him that he wasn't wrong in anticipating that she was falling in love with him, but her answer left him speechless. Clarke's response came with a slow guide of her lips against his, trying to memorize the feeling of his arms tightening around her waist to inch closer or the way he was breathing heavily against her mouth when they pulled away because he wasn't holding back anymore. 

"I think I'm falling in love with you," Clarke whispered against his mouth, before pressing harder to kiss him again. She pulls away before he could call her a tease, because she hoped he would respond with the words she's been wanting to hear for days now. 

Bellamy panted, trying to catch his breath. He wouldn't pull back, wanting her to be the only person who would hear him in the busy streets of New York City outside of the building he used to work at. "I'm in love with you, Clarke." 

Clarke exhaled, feeling like she could finally breathe. While still keeping eye contact, she finds the hand that's gripping her waist and interlocks their fingers and brings their clasped hands to her chest, right above her heart. "Come back to my place?" 

Bellamy nods, feeling like his grin would be permanent as he leaned down to kiss her forehead sweetly. "Of course." 

He doesn't know if Becca could see them from her top floor window, but he thought of what he would say as Clarke picked up her belongings, and he would text her later-but hope that she could somehow feel his gratitude now, in this blissful moment. _I'm sorry for everything we've done to you, but thank you for giving me my everything._


End file.
